Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Fumble"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Fumble \Fum"ble\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fumbled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Fumbling}.] [Akin to D. fommelen to crumple, fumble, Sw.
fumla to fusuble, famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope,
fumble, Icel. falme, AS. folm palm of the hand. See {Feel},
and cf. {Fanble}, {Palm}.]
1. To feel or grope about; to make awkward attempts to do or
find something.
Adams now began to fumble in his pockets.
--Fielding.
2. To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly; as, to
fumble for an excuse. --Dryden.
My understanding flutters and my memory fumbles.
--Chesterfield.
Alas! how he fumbles about the domains.
--Wordsworth.
3. To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with
flowers. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Fumble \Fum"ble\, v. t.
To handle or manage awkwardly; to crowd or tumble together.
--Shak.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
fumble
n : dropping the ball (in baseball or football) [syn: {muff}]
v 1: feel about uncertainly or blindly; "She groped for her
glasses in the darkness of the bedroom" [syn: {grope}]
2: make one's way clumsily; "His steps fumbled"
3: handle clumsily
4: make a mess of, destroy or ruin [syn: {botch}, {bumble}, {botch
up}, {muff}, {blow}, {flub}, {screw up}, {ball up}, {spoil},
{muck up}, {bungle}, {fluff}, {bollix}, {bollix up}, {bollocks},
{bollocks up}, {bobble}, {mishandle}, {louse up}, {foul
up}, {mess up}, {fuck up}]
5: drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder in
baseball: "fumble a grounder"
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